<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>see him (rise) at sunset by WhirlyBird70</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26608288">see him (rise) at sunset</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/WhirlyBird70/pseuds/WhirlyBird70'>WhirlyBird70</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>let the endless dream guide your restless spirit [13]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>One Piece</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Love Confessions, M/M, Requited Love, Sun Imagery, anyway deuce tries to confess to ace ace is unsure but u know it has a happy ending, deuce loves ace sorry its canon i dont make the rules</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 04:41:28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,009</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26608288</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/WhirlyBird70/pseuds/WhirlyBird70</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Deuce first <em>truly</em> saw Ace at sunset, when a starving man offered another starving man his only chance of food. When Ace stood and stared into the setting sun, glimmering with fire and a smile brighter than the endless horizon they sailed too.</p>
<p><em>That</em>, was Ace.</p>
<p>Bold, unending, kind, and defiant. How could anyone call him otherwise.?</p>
<p>(<em>You did, once</em>, traitorous thoughts often whisper into Deuce mind in quiet moments, as he thinks about the murder that almost fell upon his hands. <em>On Sixis, you thought you could kill the son of the King, the bloody, bloody king.</em></p>
<p>You thought you could snuff out that son (that <em>sun</em>).</p>
<p><em>Yeah, </em>is all Deuce can say, <em>But I didn’t.</em> And really, what else can he do?)</p>
<p>For Tumblr prompt from anon <b>Prompt: Deuce x Ace (Deuce tries to confess but Ace is completely oblivious... Or is he?)</b></p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Masked Deuce/Portgas D. Ace</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>let the endless dream guide your restless spirit [13]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1605946</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>65</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>see him (rise) at sunset</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Deuce first <em>truly</em> saw Ace at sunset, when a starving man offered another starving man his only chance of food. When Ace stood and stared into the setting sun, glimmering with fire and a smile brighter than the endless horizon they sailed too.</p>
<p><em>That</em>, was Ace.</p>
<p>Bold, unending, kind, and defiant. How could anyone call him otherwise.?</p>
<p>(<em>You did, once</em>, traitorous thoughts often whisper into Deuce mind in quiet moments, as he thinks about the murder that almost fell upon his hands. <em>On Sixis, you thought you could kill the son of the King, the bloody, bloody king.</em></p>
<p>You thought you could snuff out that son (that <em>sun</em>).</p>
<p><em>Yeah, </em>is all Deuce can say, <em>But I didn’t.</em> And really, what else can he do?)</p>
<p>Now, at another sunset, another horizon, he sees Ace again, and the sight is no less breathtaking. And this time, the familiar fire that licks up Deuce’s arm is <em>not</em> cause for alarm and a devil fruit born.</p>
<p>This time, it’s simply warmth as they sit on the head of the Moby Dick, staring into that horizon.</p>
<p>The scene is peaceful, almost, save for the fluttering in his chest. His heart is a nervous wreck right now, thumping and jittering so much so that he feels like his skin is vibrating. If Ace can tell that his body is a bit too stiff, trying hold back the urge to shift his leg up and now, he doesn’t say it.</p>
<p>He only relaxes into Deuce’s shoulder more, like a feral cat not quite tamed but thankful for the place to lay its head.</p>
<p>(Ace does not trust easily. Each bit of loyalty, of faith, of trust has to be won in a battle of wits and hands and words. But when one does, wholly, win that trust… it’s as if jewels are thrust upon you, something far more precious than would seem at first glance.</p>
<p>Deuce, shockingly, has that trust. He will die before he breaks it.)</p>
<p>The action is enough to break through Deuce’s inner nervousness. This night… this night is something special.</p>
<p>“Hey,” He begins, breaking the quiet.</p>
<p>“Hey,” Ace responds easily.</p>
<p>“Do you remember Sixis?”</p>
<p>“Mmhmm. Was a hell of a place, wasn’t it? Where we met?”</p>
<p>“Yes. And when I met you… you were like –“</p>
<p>“A crazy man on a raft?” Ace interrupts, laughing as he sits up right to look at Deuce, who’s nerves came back in full force.</p>
<p>“Well. Yes but also – “</p>
<p>“Starving?”</p>
<p>“Yes, but also – “</p>
<p>“On fire?” Ace’s eyebrows quirk up as he lets his flames flare up as natural as breathing. Deuce would crack a grin at that, normally, but now he just grabs Ace’s hands in his own, and stares into his eyes.</p>
<p>(Ace has the haki of Kings. Of Conqueror’s. It isn’t trained because anything with the word <em>king</em> in it, <em>Roger</em> related to it, makes him step back as if it were made from fire… well a fire that could burn him.</p>
<p>He never lets it out, but whenever their eyes meet, steel to Deuce’s brown, he cannot help but be reminded of it.</p>
<p>He loves Ace’s eyes.</p>
<p>He loves Ac-)</p>
<p>“Ace. When I saw you, on that island, you extended your hand, your kindness, and your protection to me. You were like the sun – and from then on, you became my closest, dearest friend.”</p>
<p>Ace, hard muscle and burning edges, softens at that, eyes disbelieving but mouth smiling. “Deuce… I… dumbass, you don’t have to say shit like that, I feel the same, y’know?”</p>
<p>Part of Deuce is proud he made Ace speechless – though, give Ace a compliment and it is startlingly easy. The other part knows this isn’t the end (but it could be, it could be, could be the end of it <em>all -)</em> and is not ready to forge ahead.</p>
<p>Deuce does it anyway.</p>
<p>(<em>Deuce</em>. It’s bad luck. But paired with Ace, he’s never been anything but lucky, but <em>loved</em>.)</p>
<p>“And Ace, you are the <em>sun</em>, to me. You are so much more than a friend to me.” Deuce prays Ace gets the hint.</p>
<p>He doesn’t.</p>
<p>“Of course, Deuce, you’re my first mate – Spades or Whitebeards, it doesn’t make a difference.” Perhaps Ace is a bit too used to Deuce’s romanticism.</p>
<p>“Ace I –“</p>
<p>“You know that right? Wait is this what it this is? You know you’re my best mate right? Have I not been showing you that?”</p>
<p>It’s refreshing how open Ace is with him, when compared to the rest of the crew.</p>
<p>(It’s almost as if Ace lov-)</p>
<p>“Ace I do but –“</p>
<p>“Is this about the money again? Because you didn’t know how it worked either-“</p>
<p>“ACE! I LOVE YOU!”</p>
<p>There. He said it.</p>
<p>He doesn’t want to look at Ace’s reaction, doesn’t think he’ll even be able to look up past the tightness in his chest, but there’s a warm hand on his, and a fire dimming in the night.</p>
<p>Deuce looks up as is met with the softest look on Ace’s face.</p>
<p>“Deuce. I know.” Is all Ace says, as he reaches for Deuce’s face with both of their hands. “I know.”</p>
<p>And isn’t that powerful, the man who can’t believe he’s deserving of love, loved by Deuce?</p>
<p>“I <em>know.”</em> Ace says and tilts their foreheads together till they connect, till not even the sun can get between the space between their eyes.</p>
<p>Ace doesn’t quite say <em>I love you</em> back. But in the way he calms Deuce’s nerves and tilts his head ever so gently to the side, the way his lips press against his in soft reverence well –</p>
<p>Deuce knows too.</p>
<p>He doesn’t know how he could have ever <em>doubted. </em></p>
<p>(And if Ace tells him he couldn’t believe Deuce <em>truly </em>loved him before he said it out loud, couldn’t believe someone like Deuce could love Ace, couldn’t risk saying it first and having <em>hate</em> rained upon him well –</p>
<p>There are a thousand more glimmering sunsets ahead of them.</p>
<p>Deuce will show Ace how he outshines all of them, in a thousand moments just like this one.)</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>hhhhh im very tired so i hope you enjoyed and thank you for reading!!! &lt;333</p>
<p>to anon: im so sorry for the wait and i wish i could've written more but writing straight up romance is not something im quite good at yet! neither is dialogue. But i think i did pretty okay with this piece (i hope!)</p>
<p>Thank you all!</p>
<p>- whirly </p>
<p>
  <a href="https://whirlybirdwhat.tumblr.com">My Tumblr!</a>
</p></blockquote></div></div>
</body>
</html>